Karaoke Forums

I've been asked a few times by people wanting to get started and really don't have a good answer for them. I also might need a second library one day, but I'm not really into hauling around CDG's anymore....

What's the best way? Finding a CDG library for sale, and going through the conversation process? Would you buy the Sound Choice GEM set, or a different starter package?

What would you do?

Buy out a retired KJ. That's the way I've gone.

that's what I was going to suggest also. that's how I've got all my disc's over the years.

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It's all good!

That makes three. I have bought out several retiring KJ's over the years and so has Chris.

Pretty unanimous vote here.

That's kind of what I thought... Part of me was kind of hoping that someone would have figured out a good starting solution by now.

Thanks for the info

I'd tell them it's not worth getting into anymore, other than that i'd say go with the GEM & a decent $2500-5000 system to start with which i'd help them put together.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I agree with Lonnie. Knowing what I know now, I would likely not go into this business. At least not as a primary source of income. And I would certainly be hesitant to put up with all the crap involved to do it the right way just a supplemental income.

Buying out retired KJ's is a great way to build up the library, but you have to also consider the time involved in ripping if they have not already done so.

That said, the fastest way to build up would be to find a host that is PC based *BUT* remained 1-1. That way you buy them out, get the discs, but they are already converted. These hosts are few and far between these days though. You won't find many PC based hosts that have any discs at all.

I only continue to do it because I have most everything ripped now. I don't bother ripping odd ball brands any longer. Pretty much rip only Sound Choice discs that I don't already have, and a few others where the track only exists on that brand.

All new music released in the past 5 years comes from purchased downloads.

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-Chris

[quote="Krisko"]I've been asked a few times by people wanting to get started and really don't have a good answer for them. I also might need a second library one day, but I'm not really into hauling around CDG's anymore....

What's the best way? Finding a CDG library for sale, and going through the conversation process? Would you buy the Sound Choice GEM set, or a different starter package?

What would you do?[/quote]

Easy answer for you. Contact Collin from Sunfly and make a deal for the Sunfly 14,000 song library collection in MP3+G format.
price is approx .55Cents (CAD) per song and it's fully updated to the latest hits of 2015.

Tell Collin that Sue from Karaoke Niagara referred you.

I hate to say it, But both Chris and Lon are right on the money. It's too costly to start from scratch, and NO real money in it. I started 10 years ago and now just finding retiring hosts to buy out to make a large library. Sound equipment is cheaper now then then, but still a big investment.

I actually make great money doing karaoke. But it is a LOT of work. It also took a lot of my own personal money to get things off the ground. It's all self-sustaining and profitable now, but it cost me a lot more than I expected to get to where I am.

I still believe that leaving my day job to do this was one of the best decisions I ever made (especially since Microsoft has cut 25,000 or so positions since I left), but it isn't for everyone and it isn't as easy as it looks (at least not to do it well).

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-Chris

I think making money on it depends on where you live. The two KJ's who work at Metro Cafe in Atlanta, for instance, make a pretty good living. The restaurant has karaoke every night. They leave all of the stuff there so the KJ doesn't have to lug everything in and does minimal setup. He gets paid pretty well, too. I think the ones who work at Cat's Meow in New Orleans also do well.

I believe the ones in Vegas and Hawaii do a pretty good business, too. Perhaps anywhere that karaoke is big, like L.A., San Francisco or NYC. I think that the ones who work the hardest also make a good living. Some places have very popular suburban karaoke, others have very popular tourist karaoke.

Like most jobs, you might have to be willing to move to a new area to get it working well for you.

Personally I've always believed that the KJ's who dress up nicely (perhaps in a costume), sing themselves once a rotation, and encourage everyone to applaud and tip the waitresses etc., and have fun things like props, and contests etc. as well as have a fair rotation and don't play favorites or make themselves the star of the show, are the best ones. If you get loyal regulars, that way if you move to another place, they follow you.
This does take a more outgoing personality, though. You can't mumble or sound fake, bored or shy when you do it.

I'm not a KJ, only a singer, but I've been to hundreds of shows all over the country (plus some in Canada and other countries) for the past 25 years. We used to travel every month and I would do KJ in whatever city/state we were going to. So I've seen all kinds of KJ's and karaoke shows.

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~Suzanne Lanoue~

I agree 100%, Suzanne!

I could not forklift my operation into Derby, Kansas and expect to have the same success.

I currently have plans to move back to Texas in 1-2 years and part of the consideration in where we live is proximity to a town where I could set up successful karaoke operations.

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-Chris

OK Chris, you are officially freaking me out! I graduated from Derby High School (Go Panthers!) and lived in that god forsaken state for nearly three years before graduating and escaping.

How on earth do you know that little town?! I am a Boeing child so we moved back and forth a couple times as a kid between Seattle & Wichita.

My family has a lot of history in Kansas. My great grandfather operated the "Avis General Store" in Otis, KS. I have some antiques from the general store and one of the bricks from the original building.
My grandmother was born and lived her whole life in Wichita.
My mother and maternal grandfather lived in Derby.

My father was born and raised in Wichita, KS. He went to work for Boeing in the 60's and we moved to Mukilteo, WA (north of Seattle) just after I was born. We relocated to Wichita a few years later. Since then I have lived all over the US.

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-Chris

Bad news just keeps coming..

It sucks for the employees impacted, but it is a smart thing to do for Microsoft. That acquisition shouldn't have ever been made.

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-Chris

my answer would be: to start from scratch, ask around any KJs if they're looking to hire a newbie and start there. gain experience that way--work for an established KJ for awhile and learn as you grow to see if you really wanna be a full-time part of this kj world or not

Just catching up to this!

Wow, our early lives are very similar. My parents both also from Kansas (Ark City & Hutchinson). Dad was also transferred to Boeing Everett in 1962. I was born a few years later and we lived in Bellevue until the early 80's when he was transferred back to Wichita. They bought a house in Derby, and I attended my last two years of High School there. Needless to say, for a kid born and raised in Bellevue WA, Derby KS was quite a culture shock!

That's where I got into radio. Was at KEYN before moving on/up...

It's a small world after all......

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Freaky coincidence?

Chris is from Seattle, WA, mother & maternal grandfather lived in Derby, KS.
Bazza lived in Derby KS.

Chris father worked for Boeing, & then moved to WA (north of Seattle).
Bazza as a Boeing child moved to & fro Seattle & Witchita
Chris grandmother was born / lived in Witchita

Sure you two aren’t related? Hmmm, time to check genealogy lineage @ ancestry.com.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!